Voice silencer



June 17, 1941. s. SCHER VOICE SILENCER Filed May 21, 1940 INVENTOR 100/55. SCHEZ ATTO R N EY Patented June 17, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEVOICE SILENCER 7 Louis S. Scher, New York, N. Y. Application May 21,1940, 'Serial No. 336,345

12 Claims.

The present invention relates to voice mufflers or silencers for thehand set type of telephones for mufliing the voice of a speaker desiringto converse confidentially in the presence of others.

This invention is an improvement over my previous structures patentedNovember 12, 1935 and October 4, 1933, and bearing the respectivenumbers 2,020,970 and 2,131,820, and is designed to overcome some of thefaults of these structures and those of the prior art.

The present structure is neat, trim, inexpensive to produce, and isfurther characterized by the ease with which it may be disassembled forthorough cleaning and sterilization.

Seeking to provide a mufiier of practical and efficient form, theinvention contemplates the provision of a body having removableassociation with the mouthpiece of a telephone instrument and fittedwith a preferably swingable mouth engaging portion which may be swung toa position within the body to clear the telephone support when theinstrument is placed thereon and which may be swung outwardly of thebody when in use.

The invention also contemplates the provision of novel sound absorbingmeans disposed within the muffler body and deals with the structure ofsaid means.

The mufiler further incorporates novel features of construction tendingto provide a compact and efficient device for the purpose intended.

The foregoing and many other objects, features and advantages will behereinafter set forth or will become apparent as this disclosureproresses. The features of the invention have been incorporated in thedevice as illustrated in the accompanying drawing and the followingspecification is based thereon.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a portion of a hand set type of telephonefitted with a muffler designed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a telephone mouthpiece with the muffler inlongitudinal section and ready for use.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of one portion of the bod? of the muffler.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a sound absorbing unit used in the mufiier.

Referring now to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, atelephone support is shown at 5, said support being provided with a base6. In the usual manner, the support cradles a hand set instrument Iprovided with a transmitter or mouthpiecet. As can be seen from Fig. 1,a

' face upon which the telephone rests.

portion of the transmitter has vertical overstanding relation with thebase 6 when the hand set instrument is cradled on the support and thatonly a small amount of clearance is provided between the transmitter andsaid base and the sur- It is evisuoh departs if undesirable shifting ofoperating position is to dent then, that the muflier must be of sign asto clear such thereof into and out be obviated.

To this end, the muffler body 9 preferably comprises a transmitterengaging member l0 removably fitted with a preferably domed mouthpiecesupporting member I I, the latter supporting a swingable mouthpiece 12.These members H), II, and 12 are preferably moulded of hard rubber,Bakelite, or other such materials and are substantially rigid andnon-deformable.

The member ID is preferably formed with an opening E3 in which thetransmitter 8 is engaged, a seat l4 being provided to limit the positionof the transmitter within the opening l3, In order to removably hold themember H] on the transmitter, means may be provided, such as theretaining springs l5 carried by the member [0, for engaging thetransmitter and gripping the same.

The body member ID is preferably circular in contour with the opening iteccentrically disposed to provide a widened portion which in thisinstance is hollow to form the crescent shaped trough IS. The bottom ofsaid trough is preferably lined with a sound absorbing element 11 offelt or the like.

The member ID, on its lower face, may be provided with a rabbet 13formed by said face and a rib 09 to receive the upper edge portion ofthe mouthpiece supporting member H. Suitable means may be provided togive detachable association between the members l0 and H. The lattermember, which is formed as substantially half of a, hollow sphere, ispreferably provided with an angularly disposed opening 20 in substantialregister with the opening of the transmitter 8. In this opening ispositioned the mouthpiece t2.

The mouthpiece I2 is preferably formed as a curved tubular member havinga rim 2| and provided with a lug 22 which is seated against theunderface of the member Ii], said lug being confined'ag'a'instdisplacement by a portion of the member H. Thelug 22 is so positioned inits seat as'to become a hinge point for the mouthpiece l2 which may thusbe swung from the retractedfposition of Fig. 1 to the in use posig tioiiof Fig. 2, theformer condition being neces- The felt portion 24reasonably follows that part of the body member H adjacent which itis'disposed, its edge being seated upon lugs 25 formed in the bodymember and within the trough it. The felt portion 25 has itsedge seatedagainst a lug 25 in said trough and isj,eccen-' trically arranged withrespect to the portion 24 so that its opposite edge meets and followsthe commensurate'edge of said portion 24 a In the above manner, anextension 2'! of the trough It ;is formed between the felt portions 243and 25 leaving a felt-lined chamber into which the transmitter 8 opensand into which the mouthpiece maybe swung when out of use. Inasmuch as afeature of the invention is the ease with which the parts of the muiiiermay be disassembled for thorough cleaning, it is essenti al that 'saidparts can be easily handled.

While the sound-absorbing unit 23 may be formed to give the desiredrigidity for handling, it is preferred to set the edges thereof intolight channels 2 9 to obviate the collapse or derangement of said edgesand to indent the walls of said channels, as at 30, to pinch the feltmembers .2 3 and 25 to prevent inadvertent separation of the channelsfrom said felt members.

To permit free circulation of air in the chamber 28 and to preventblasting, the member i9 maybeprovided with the holes 3| communieatingsaid chamber with atmosphere when the mouthpiece i2 is covered duringuse. 7

In use, the instrument I is removed from its support and ,the mouthpieceswung outwardly to the positionlshown in Fig. 2. The mouth is pressedagainst the rim 2| to prevent escape of sound'bei'ng directed to thetransmitter 8. The sound circulates in the chamber 28 and for the mostpart is absorbed by the felt member 25. Such sound as penetrates thismember finds its way into the troughs l6 and 21 to be absorbed by thefelt members l1 and 24. By this time, any sound which finds its way outof the mufiier is so indistinct as to be unintelligible.

, From the foregoing it is evident that an improved and novel voicemuffler has been provided in a preferred form of embodiment. It isfurther apparent that changes in designs, incorporating the principlesand features of the invention, may Well be made without, departing fromthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A voice muiiier comprising a hollow body formed of two separablemembers, sound absorbing means carried by one of said members, and arigid mouthpiece carried by the other of said members, said mouthpiecebeing retractable within said, other member. 7

2. A voice muffler comprising a two-part body, one of said parts beingadapted for engaging association with a telephone transmitter, soundabsorbing means carried by said body part, the other of said parts beingcarried by the first mentioned, part and providedwwith an angularlydisposedopening, and a mouthpiece of substantially non-deformablematerial, swingably mounted on said second part and within said openingfor ready retraction within, and extension out of said other part.

3. A voice muflier comprising a two-part body, one of said parts beingadapted for engaging association with a telephone transmitter, andformed with a crescent-shaped trough, sound absorbing material disposedin said trough, a. sound absorbing unit carried by said part andextending beyond said trough and having a chamber communicating withsaid trough, the other of said parts being carried by thefirst-mentioned part and formed with an opening, and a mouthpiece of Vsubstantially non-deformable material, swingably mounted on said secondpart for ready retraction within, and extension out of said second partthrough said opening.

4. A voice mufiier for a telephone transmitter comprising atransmitter-engaging member having an opening into which the transmitteror" a telephone instrument is snugly though removably fitted, and havinga seat against which the transmitter rests, said member beingsubstantially circular with the said opening being eccentricallydisposed relative thereto to provide a hollowcrescent-shaped trough, asound-absorbing lining in the bottom of said trough, amouthpiece-supporting member removably fitted to thetransmitter-engaging member and being formed as a hollow, substantially.hemispherical element and having an angularly disposed opening toregister substantially with the'opening in the transmitter, a mouthpieceformed as a curved tubular member having an annular rim, and a hinge lugon said mouthpiece in 'interfitting pivotal engagement with the saidsupporting member.

5. A voice muiiler for a telephone transmitter com-prising atransmitter-engaging member having an opening into which the transmitterofv a telephone instrument is snugly though removably fitted, andlhavinga seat against which the 1 transmitter rests, said memberrbeing substan-45 tially circular with the said opening being eccentrically disposedrelative thereto to provide a hollow crescent-shaped trough, asound-absorbing lining in the bottom of said trough, amouthpiece-supporting member removably fitted to thetransmitter-engaging member and being, formed as a hollow, substantiallyhemispherical element and having an angularly disposed opening toregister substantially with the opening inthe transmitter, 'andamouthpiece having pivotal engagement with said mouthpieceesupportingmember and swingable in relation thereto.

6. A voice muiiier for a telephone transmitter comprisingatransmitter-engaging member having an opening into which the transmitterof a telephone instrument is snugly though removably' fitted, and havinga seat against which thetransmitter rests, said member beingsubstantially .cir-

cular with the said opening being eccentrically disposed relativethereto to provide a hollow crescent-shaped trough, a sound-absorbinglining in the bottom of said trough, a mouthpiece-supporting memberremovably fitted to the transmitterengaging member and being formed as ahollow, substantially hemispherical element and having anangularlydisposed opening to register sub-.

stantially with the opening in the transmitter, and amouthpiece disposedin said opening and being pivotally mounted for swingable movement froma position within the mouthpiece-supporting member to a positionprotruding therefrom.

7. A voice inuflier for a telephone transmitter comprising atransmitter-engaging member having an opening into which the transmitterof a telephone instrument is snugly though removably fitted, and havinga seat against which the transmitter rests, said member beingsubstantially circular with the said opening being eccentricallydisposed relative thereto to provide a hollow crescent-shaped trough, asound-absorbing lining in the bottom of said trough, amouthpiecesupporting member removably fitted to the transmitter-engagingmember and being formed as a hollow, substantially hemispherical elementand having an angularly disposed opening to register substantially withthe opening in the transmitter, and a mouthpiece having pivotalengagement with said mouthpiece-supporting member and swingable inrelation thereto, a sound-absorbing unit disposed within themouthpiece-supporting member, said unit comprising two walls of fibrousmaterial each curved in transverse planes to produce shapessubstantially as portions of hollow spheres, one of said wallsreasonably following the adjacent wall of the mouthpiece-supportingmember with one edge supported on lugs in the trough of thetransmitter-engaging member, the other fibrous wall being seated on lugsin the opposite wall of said trough and eccentrically disposed relativeto the first wall so that the outer edges of both said walls meet andmerge together, the said two fibrous walls constituting in effect acontinuation of the trough walls.

8. A voice muffler for a telephone transmitter comprising atransmitter-engaging member having an opening into which the transmitterof a telephone instrument is snugly though removably fitted, and havinga seat against which the transmitter rests, said member beingsubstantially circular with the said opening being eccentricallydisposed relative thereto to provide a hollow crescent-shaped trough, asound-absorbing lining in the bottom of said trough, amouthpiece-supporting member removably fitted to thetransmitter-engaging member and being formed as a hollow, substantiallyhemispherical element and having an angularly disposed opening toregister substantially with the opening in the transmitter, and amouthpiece having pivotal engagement with said mouthpiece-supportingmember and swingable in relation thereto, a sound-absorbing unitdisposed within the mouthpiecesupporting member, said unit comprisingtwo walls of fibrous material each curved in transverse planes toproduce shapes substantially as portions of hollow spheres, one of saidwalls reasonably following the adjacent wall of themouthpiece-supporting member with one edge supported on lugs in thetrough of the transmitterengaging member, the other fibrous Wall beingseated on lugs in the opposite wall of said trough and eccentricallydisposed relative to the first wall so that the outer edges of both saidwalls meet and merge together, the said two fibrous walls constitutingin efiect a continuation of the trough walls, said mouthpiece beingretractable into the supporting member and withdrawable therefrom.

9. A voice mufiler for a telephone transmitter comprising atransmitter-engaging member having an opening into which the transmitterof a telephone instrument is snugly though removably fitted, and havinga seat against which the transmitter rests, said member beingsubstantial- 1y circular with the said opening being eccentricallydisposed relative thereto to provide a hollow crescent-shaped trough, asound-absorbing lining in the bottom of said trough, a mouthpiece memberreniovably fitted to the transmitter-engaging member and being formed asa hollow, substantially hemispherical element and having an angularlydisposed opening to register substantially with the opening in thetransmitter.

10. A voice mufiler for a telephone transmitter comprising atransmitter-engaging member having an opening into which the transmitterof a telephone instrument is snugly though removably fitted, and havinga seat against which the transmitter rests, said member beingsubstantially circular with the said opening being eccentricallydisposed relative thereto to provide a hollow crescent-shaped trough, asound-absorbing lining in the bottom of said trough, a mouthpiece memberremovably fitted to the transmitter-engaging member and being formed asa hollow, substantially hemispherical element and having an angularlydisposed opening to register substantially with the opening 'in thetransmitter, a soundabsorbing unit disposed within the mouthpiecemember, said unit comprising two walls of fibrous material each curvedin transverse planes to produce shapes substantially as portions ofhollow spheres, one of said walls reasonably following the adjacentwalls of the mouthpiece member with one edge supported on lugs in thetrough of the transmitter member, the other fibrous wall being seated onlugs in the opposite wall of said trough and eccentrically disposed saidtwo fibrous walls constituting in tinuation of the trough walls.

11. A voice muffler for a telephone transmitter comprising a transmittermember, said member being substantially circular with an opening beingeccentrically disposed relative thereto to provide a hollowcrescent-shaped trough, a soundabsorbing lining in the bottom of saidtrough, removably fitted to the transmitter member and being formed as ahollow, substantially hemispherical element and having an angularlydisposed opening to register substantially with the opening in thetransmitter member.

12. A voice muifler for a telephone transmitter comprising a transmittermember, said member being substantially circular with an opening beingeccentrically disposed relative thereto to proeffect a consubstantiallyhemispherical element and having an angularly disposed opening toregister substantially with the opening in the transmitter gether, thesaid two fibrous walls constituting in eifect a continuation of thetrough walls.

LOUIS B. SCHER.

